Austin adams



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet'i. A. ADAM S.

LATCH.

Patented Deo. 14,1897.

A w (6 OMA I 2 sheetssheet 2. A. ADAMS.

LATCH.

Patented Deo. 14,1897.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

AUSTIN ADAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of -Letters PatentNo. 595,424, dated December14, 1 897. Application filed April 9, 1897. Serial No. 631,454. (Nomodel.)

.To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUSTIN ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York, in the county and State'of New York, have inventeda certain new and useful Latch, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to appliances designedfor purposes of fasteningmovable articles as, for example, doors, covers, &c.-and ofautomatically lookin g the same, and also to means whereby the saidmovable articles may be wedged or drawn tight to their seat or closedposition; and it has for its object the provision of a device simple inconstruction, inexpensive,and readily applied and operated and alsoefficient in practical use.

To attain the desired end, my invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts 'hereinafter described.

In the drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure lrepresents a front elevation of a fastener constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view indetail, showing a side elevation, partly in section, of my fastener andreleasing device, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.

A represents a plate constructed and arranged to be vbolted or otherwisesecured to the movable article to be fastened, as a door, and providedwith a forwardly-projecting arm A', carrying at approximately a rightangle to the same a horizontal tubular bearing A2, through which passesthe shaft B, which arm is enlarged on opposite sides of the same inorder to abut against the said bearing. The shaft B carries at itsopposite extremities an outer operating-handle B and an inner weightedlever B2 and is constructed and arranged to turn freely in the tubularbearing A. The said arm A projectsa distance beyond the edgeof the door,dac., in order that when the same is closed the preferably weightedlever B2 will engage a retaining device consisting of a bracket orbase-plate C in vertical line with two forwardly-projecting jaws C C2. Ialso ordinarily provide my retaining means with an additionalsimilarlyformed base-plate C6, also in vertical line with the said jaws.The said base-plates are constructed and arranged to be bolted orotherwise secured to the stationary part, as adoorcasing, adjacent tothe said movable article. The object for which I have constructed theretaining means as described is to utilize it for narrow doors-or otherjambs wherewith no other construction of base-plate is available forpurposesof fastening the same, and the advantage of the same consistsalso in the fact that there is no tendency in practical use 0f the saidretaining means working loose, as the strain is practically in line withthe fastening devices of said retaining means. This plate C is providedwith two forwardlyprojecting jaws C C2, facing the projecting arm A',the two jaws C C2 becoming narrowed toward their extremities, whichapproach each other. As the door is closed the weighted lever B2 willengage the lower jaw C2 and Awill ride upon the inclined edge of thesame, thus gradually turning the shaft B until the lever B2 assumes ahorizontal position, whereupon the said weighted lever will pass betweenthe jaws C C2 and then fall by gravity behind the ljaw C2. The door,doc., is now locked by reason of the jaw C2 being located between thehandle B and the weighted lever B2, and it will be noted that thelocking of the same has been accomplished entirely automatically solelyby pushing the door, dac., to a closed position.

In order to wedge or eect an air-tight fastening, I now press thedepending handle B to the left,'whereupon the weighted lever B2 will bemoved still farther along the inclined inner edge of the lower jaw C2,whereupon the door, dac., will be drawn with great force toward andrigidly held very tightly to the casing, &c.

In cases where my fastening device is used,

on a door of a compartment, &c., to which application of my latch thisspecification is particularly related, I provide meansw for opening orunlocking the same from the inside by providing one of the members of mylatch with unlocking means which forms a permanent part thereof, as inthe present instance, by constructing the keeper member with anunlocking device, as follows: Ashaft D, supported by a bearing risingfrom the plate C,

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carries at its extremities a handle D', secured to the same by the screwd', and a crank D2, rigidly secured to the said shaft D. After a holehas been bored in the jamb the member C is screwed to the same, theshaft D passing through the said orifice. By means of the use of theset-screw d' the handle D' may be located at any desired point along theshaft D, which is ordinarily longer than the thickness of the jamb, thusrendering my device capable of being adjusted to door-jambs of anythickness. The crank D2 is constructed and arranged to engage with theWeighted lever B2, and by turning the handle D' the weighted lever maybe caused to assume a horizontal position, whereupon the same may bepushed between the jaws C' C2 again and the door thereby opened.

It will be observed that one of the members of my fastener (in this casethe member of my latch constituting the keeper) is permanently providedwith a manually-operated device, as a shaft, the end of which is locatedwithin the chamber, whereby the members may be disengaged, and thefunction of the said keeper is thus not only to become engaged with myball-lever, but also consists in forming a guide and support for theunlocking device and also in providing means for determining thecenterboth of the unlockingshaft and also the proper center of theballlever latch, whereby the parts may be readily and quickly applied tothe door and jamb, the shaft D and bearing therefor being fastenedtogether by suitable 1neans,as screws C9.

The base-plate C is cut out, as at C8, in order to serve as a socket orguide for the unlocking-disk supporting the pin D2, and the arms C' C2are inclined, so as to form a circular mouth in order to serve as aguide for the unlocking-pin D2,which makes its rotatory movement withinthe said jaws until it is advanced farenough around to clear the same.By means of the circular mouth of the keeper a center is formed for theshaft D of the unlocking-pin D, which center is formed by theintersection of two right angles-namely, a vertical line equidistantfrom the interior of the socket in the base-plate C and the eX- tremityof the jaws C' C2 and a horizontal line midway between the highest andlowest point of the said jaws C' Cg-and which center must coincide withthe longitudinal axis of the shaft B of the 'ball-latch. After thekeeper C, provided with the handle D', has been lo- I cated and the holefor the unlocking-shaft D has been bored in the jamb J the member A maybe quicklyand readily placed in proper position upon the door by simplybringing the shaft B of the ball-latch in alinemcnt withA the shaft D ofthe keeper.

It will be observed that my unlocking-pin D2 and base-plate C form onemember and are held, as stated, in proper mutual relation by anysuitable means, preferably by the plate C, which may be extendedentirely across the back of the same, as shown in Figs.

l and 2. The plate C is preferably provided with an integral cylindricalexten sion C4, the bore of the same serving as a bearing for the shaftD. A cap D4 is screwed to the same, and the shaft D, which also passesthrough said cap, is prevented from movinglatelally by means of screwsor pins C9, which workin an annular recess within the bearing.

The configuration of the member C and the locking-pin D2 and diskthereof are so designed as to insure a mutual harmony of parts and toallow the free action of the unlocking means with which my member C isprovided, and the same dual member may be more easily and quicklyapplied to a doorjamb than would be the case if the keeper C andunlocking means D D' D2 were separate and independent parts and did notconstitute one and the same member. I also provide additionalindependent locking means whereby the fastening bar or arm and theretaining means become directly engaged and interlocked.

Upon the inner face of the bar A2 is formed an arm or projection A6,constructed and arranged when the parts are in a closed relation tocoincide or register with the eye C3, located on the outer face of oneof the retaining-jaws.

By passing the shackle of a padlock (indicated by dotted lines in thedrawings) through the eyes C3 the parts may be securely locked together.

In case of any sagging or shrinking or looseness of the door, &c.,occasioned by long use my wedge-fastener will draw the parts closely andhold the same rigidly together, and the simplicity of my fastener, thereadiness with which it maybe applied, together with the efficiency ofthe same in practical operation renders it applicable to a great varietyof articles. l

It will be noted that the jaws C' C2 of my retaining means are ofsimilar construction, the appliance thus being interchangeable, so as tobe used with either a right or left hand door. In use with a left-handdoor the handle B' will be turned tov the right in order to wedge thesame, and the weighted lever B2 will ride upon the jaw C', which will inthis case be the lower jaw, as the jaws C' C2 will be turned around soas to face the left. If preferred, the keeper may be applied to the doorand the latch fastened to the jamb.

It is evident that many slight changes in the construction and relativearrangement of parts might be resorted to Without departing vfrom thespirit and scope of my invention. I

would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to the particularconstruction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but that Ireserve the right to make such changes, and that W'hat I claim as new,and desire to secure by LettersrPatent, is

1. The combination, in a fastener, witha projecting bracket providedwith a locking- IOO IIO

arm projecting therefrom and carrying a handle and a preferably weightedlever, of retaining means provided with a jaw narrowed toward itsextremity, the said jaw being provided upon its outer face with afastening device, as an eye, and also of means, as a locking-bar,whereby the said parts may be directlyengaged with each other and themovement of the parts prevented.

2. The combination, in a fastener, with a` projecting bracket carrying ahandle and a preferably weighted lever, of a keeper consisting of aretaining-jaw and a forwardlyarched bracket and means for securing saidbracket in position, said means located in vertical line with saidjaw,whereby any strain upon said jaw is in line with the securing meansfor said bracket, as specified.

8. In a fastening device, the combination, with one member consisting ofa latching device, of another member constituting a keeper, the twomembers being respectively secured to a door and jamb of a compartment,one of the said members being permanently provided with a secondary andindependently manually-operated device, as a handle, located in a partof said member so .that their relative positions may always be the same,the

said secondary handle extending within the' compartment, whereby themembers may also be disengaged.

5. In a latching device, to be applied to a door, &c. of a wall, thecombination, with a vrotating or swinging latch, and with a keeperhaving an inclined edge or way engaged by said latch, of a rotatingshaft axially disposed as regards the said keeper and passing to theopposite side of the wall, said shaft being permanently located in apart of said member so that their relative positions may always be thesame and provided at its forward end with an operating-finger or projection and at its opposite end with an operating-handle, whereby thelatch may be fastened or released from either side of the wall.

In testimonyof the foregoing speciication I do hereby sign the same, inthe city of Washington, District of Columbia, this 8th day of April, A.D. 1897.

AUSTIN ADAMS. Witnesses:

J. ODELL FowLER, Jr., W. BERTRAND ACKER.

